Duke Microbiome Center Rolling Voucher Program
v.4 updated 25 August 2022
Duke University has established shared resources that avail diverse technologies to Duke investigators of all research backgrounds that can be used to advance microbiome science. To facilitate Duke Microbiome Center investigators’ access to these shared resources, particularly for microbiome projects that are not yet externally funded, we are pleased to announce the Duke Microbiome Center Rolling Voucher Program. This rolling voucher program offers vouchers in amounts ranging up to $10,000. Each DMC faculty member cannot receive more than $10,000 of funds through this mechanism within any two year period. These vouchers are redeemable at any of the Duke University School of Medicine’s many core facilities, and applicants are required to contact the directors of these shared resources to develop project budgets. While vouchers may be requested for any core facility, the DMC particularly encourages voucher applications for sequencing of 16S/18S rRNA, ITS, microbial genomes or metagenomes; metabolomic and proteomic assays of microbiome-associated samples; bioinformatic analysis of clinical, environmental, or host-associated microbiome samples; or use of gnotobiotic mice. Those services are available through the following cores:
Sequencing and Genomic Technologies Shared Resource
Duke Proteomics and Metabolomics Shared Resource
There are no deadlines for the Rolling Voucher Program. Applications will be considered at any point during the year. Applications will be reviewed by a committee of Duke Microbiome Center faculty, and applicants will be quickly notified of funding decisions.
Eligibility as a principal investigator is restricted to (1) faculty members of the Duke Microbiome Center, or (2) postdoctoral fellows or graduate students working in the lab of a Duke Microbiome Center faculty member. Voucher awards will expire one year after award, and will be administered by the Duke University School of Medicine’s Office of Research Resources.
Principal investigators previously awarded a voucher are eligible to apply for and receive a new voucher if the work proposed is significantly and scientifically distinct from previous awards. Awards are limited to one per principal investigator at any given time, and a maximum of $10,000 in voucher funds within any two year window. Priority will be given to proposals seeking to develop preliminary data for grant applications.
Please include the following in your proposal:
- Title page and contact information
- One-page proposal describing the research question to be investigated, rationale, proposed plan for data analysis, and plans for future project funding (11 pt font, 0.5” margins).
- Budget and budget justification for shared resource services.
- Biographical sketches for participating Duke Microbiome Center faculty and other key personnel. Please use the non-fellowship NIH Biosketch Form found here: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm
Application materials and any presubmission inquiries should be emailed to Cindy Wicker.
